public holidays

Public holidays! Oh how I loved them when I worked for a company, but how do we navigate them as entrepreneurs.

It is indeed an interesting question and one you probably gave no thought to when you started on this journey. I know that if I did I had assumed that I would simply take the day like most other people; I would have been wrong.

Looking back on public holidays so far I have worked most of them. I worked Easter Monday, because it was just a Monday. My husband had a new contract that required him to work on the Queens Birthday Monday, and I am working on a clients site 3 days a week so that was the day I could get that weeks post written.

When you work from home the novelty of being at home on a Tuesday is just not as potent as it may have once been.

So how do we navigate public holidays as entrepreneurs?

We put it out of our minds. Part of the appeal of running your own show is being able to work on your own terms. Sometimes this is going to mean working on a public holiday because you’re on deadline (or working on something that gives you joy). Other times it means taking a random Tuesday as a self designated public holiday.

Never assume though that you should work public holidays. I’ve had a few people joke that working for myself means I never have a day off. Sometimes it can be true (I’ve definitely done things on a Saturday night/Sunday morning for a client). But I am not obliged to be. I have self designated office hours (what other type is there for entrepreneurs) and I stick to them. I work 8 hour days and if I work more one day then I can take a sneaky Friday early mark.

Also, lets be honest many of us still have loved ones that do get public holidays which often means plans, fun plans that we can definitely make time for.

Rest is as important to an entrepreneur as to everyone else, more so sometimes because if we get burnt out there is no one to pick up the slack.

When you started out on your own how did you handle public holidays? Has your approached changed over time?

I write the words, or the majority of the words, here at alysholz.com - the words are my own opinions/knowledge but I hope that they provide you with some motivation/inspiration for the work you are doing in the world.